miller



Dec. '11, 1928. 1,695,256

c. N. MILLER BOTTLE REFRIGERATOR Filed oct. 1,1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 NVENTOR. ya /1/1'12 N. ,Mi/ler, Y

A TTORNEY Dec., 1l, 1928.

C. N. MELLER BOTTLE REFRIGERATOH Filed Oct. l, 1925 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 FJ 3O Patented Dec. 11, 1928. y A UNITED STATES CALVIN N.

Y 1,695,256 PATENT yorricla.

MILLER, or MUNcIn, INDIANA, AssIGNoR 'ro GLAscocxiBRoIIIEns/Mm.coIIPANY, oF MUNcIE, INDIANA, fA conroRATIoNroF INDIANA.`

BOTTLE ILEFRIGERATOR.

Application mea october 1, i925, seriarNofsazas.

- stimulating trade in his particular goods, dis

tribute pop bottle refrigerators to his dealers and be assured that onlyhis goods will'be used in the refrigerator. y v' Another object of myinvention is to provide a refrigerator forv pop bottles which whilebeing efficient both in cooling the goods,

and in dispensing 'the bottles,'may be manun factured at a minimumexpense.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyhereinafter.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated oneembodiment thereof 1n the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a refrigerator embodying my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section of the box illustrated in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof ;v Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the line/1 4 of 80 Fig. 3, and L Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing amodification of the bottle propeller operating means. I

In the structure illustrated I provide a suitv4able frame or boxstructure 1 supported on legs 2 and within which is a suitable liner 3for thesides and bottom the space between the liner 3 and the side anels4 and bottom panel 5 being lled with cork or other desir able heatinsulating material.

Within the enclosure thus formed I provide an ice receptacle 6 whichextends from front to back of the enclosure and has its side wallssecured at their top to cross braces .7, which braces support a cover8|,for the ice'chamber. The side walls of this chamber 6 are providedwith suitable openings 9 through which the water of the melted ice orthe brine mixture or other coolingmedium may escape to the 5o bottlecompartments 10 and.` 11 arranged on' each side of the ice chamber. Thecompartments 10 and 11 are divided into a series of bottle receivin'channels 13, 14 and 15. f lyhe side walls'l o these channels do notextend to the-top of the compartment so that all of vent any but bottleshaving keyways or hav I.a restricted waist and the flanges 17 are inthechannels are laterallyliquid communicating .thereby providing in eachchannela liquid vbathiii which the bottles maintained in the channelsare substantially emersed, the level of the liquid being maintained at apoint Just below the top of the bottle. Ihave'illustrated various typesof channels which may be formed and used in my structure. -The channels13 are of a type wherein any type o f bottle may be passed therethrough,the side walls being substantially straight and the channels beingadapted to support the bottles 1n a vertical position and the bottlesbeingy adapted to be` fed through 'the channelsin a lateral series fromfront to-back. 'l I The channels-Maud 15 are of types adapted to receiveparticular types of bottles and to this end are keyed so that/their keyswill.

engage in keywaysformed in the bottle to preing a configuration tocoincide with the keys of the channel being fed through the chariel.There are various ways offorming these keys and I have illustrated inthe drawings one manner of keying the channels which 'consists in theturning in of the upper edge of the channels to fornranges such as 17,which flanges are adapted to fit in coincidin 'restricted portions inthe bottles, The c annels .14 'are shown as being, keyed tov receiveonly the type of bottle in which Coca Cola is now being dispensed andwhich, at its lower end,-is provided with a restricted pory tion flaringout Vinto the bottom ofthe bottle. By providingl the flanges 17 at aheight suf- 'ficient to coincide with this restricted portiony j andthereby making the neck of the channel narrower-than the remainingportion of the channel,*only a bottle' having substantiall theconfiguration of a Coca Cola botte may be fed'throu h the channel. Thecqmpartment 15 in li e manner is arranged to receive only the bottlescontaining ,Nu- Grape. This type of bottle is-provided with turned atagreater height to coincide with this restricted waist. It is thereforeapparent that these channels lare keyed 'or irregularly shaped toreceive bottlesl havinga configuration to4 conform to the irregularitiesin the channel so that only specified bottles may be delivered or passedthrough the channels. The bottles are adapted to be inserted at the rearendfof the channel at which oint ofcourse the flanges would be left oand 11o los are adapted tobe inserted in 'the channel axially whilebeing fed through the channel in 'a lateral series.` They are adapted inthe same manner to be removed from the front end of the channel axiallyand to this end the compartment and channels 'are closed at their top bysuitable closure members 18 fitting within the frame and secured inposition. An intake opening 19 is provided at the brace, the sides ofthe bottle. These propell lers are hingedly mounted as at 25 -to theframe, their lower end being free so that the propeller may have aswinging or reciprocal movement and when swung forward against a bottlethat' hasV been inserted through the opening 19 .into the channel willpropel this bottle-forward, and when swung rearwardly or back to itssubstantially vertical position will leaveI suiicient clearance betweenthe bottle moved forward and the propeller forthe insertion of a newbottle through the opening 19.

In order that the bottles may be moved for' ward. automatically by theopening `of the door the propellers are connected with the hinged door22 by suitable connecting rods 26 hingedly secured at their forward endsto the door 22 and being inturned at their rear ends to engage in anarcuate slot 27 formed in two' of the wings 24. This slot is of suchlength that the ,doorl 22. may be partially opened without o erating thepropellers, but l when opened to its fullest extent will cause thepropellers to move'- forward and thus propel the line of bottlesmaintained injthechannels forwardly.

`In operation the bottlesare inserted into vthe channels through theopening 19 and are moved forwardly until the channel is completelyfilled. In dispensing the bottles the operator is supposed to firstremove a chilled bottle and then insert a warm bottle at the rear of thechannel so that when the hinged cover 22 is again opened the bottleswill-be fed forward. IfQby any chance he inserts a warm bottleV beforehe receives a chilled bottle there is not sucient roomrfor the bottlesto move forward, but due to the lost motion connection between thehinged .door 22 and the propellers 23 the door can be sufficientlyopened to permit the removal of a bottle.-

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified operating means for thepropellers wherein the -at the rear of said channel propeller is movedforwardly by the open-y on the saine'hinge support as the propeller 23and-is provided with an arcuate linger 28 adapted, after the door hasbeen opened a sufficient distance, to engage behind the propeller 23 andswing the saine forward by a continued opening movement of the door.This permits the door or cover member 21 to be opened suiciently topermit the insertion of a bottle in a channel and then by a continuedopening movement operate the propeller to force the bottle forwardlythrough the channel.

I claim as my invention: Y

l. A bottle refrigerator including a bottle channel irregular in crosssection at that portion through which the body of a bottle passes topermit the passage therethrough only of al bottle having a configurationin the body portion thereof to coincide withthe irregular shape of saidchannel and means for propelling bottles through said channels.

2; A bottlerefrigerator including a bottle channel constructed toreceive and permit bottles to pass therethrough in side by siderelation, the walls of said channels having keys at that portion throughwhich the body of the bottle passes arrangedto fit keyways formed in thebottles to prevent the passage through said channel 'of any bottlesexcept those having a body of a particular type.

3. A bottle refrigerator including a bottle channel constructed toreceive and permit the bottles to pass therethrough in side by siderelation, the'side walls of said channel being irregularly shaped at`that portion through which the body' ofthe bottle passes to prevent thepassage through said channel of any bottles except those having aconfiguratipln to coincide with said irregularshaped Wa s. i

4. A bottle refrigerator including a bottle channel having receiving anddelivery openings at its rear and front ends for receiving and'deliverin the bottles axially, the bottles said vclosure member and saidpropeller for operating the propeller by the'opening and closing of theclosure member while permitting the closure .member to be partiallyopened without affecting the propeller.

5. A bottle refr'i erator including a bottle channel through wich thebottles are adapted to be-propelled in a lateral series and having4 anopening through which the bottles are adapted to pass axially, areciprocal propeller propelling the bottles forwardly through saidchannel, a closure member for said opening for engaging and* at one endand a receiving opening `at the having a lost motion connection with thepropeller -for operating the same to propel the bottles forwardly uponthe opening of the closure member While permitting the closure member tobe partially opened Without aecting the propeller. v

6. A bottle refrigerator including a bottle receiving channel having adelivery opening other end through which the bottles are Y axiallyremoved and inserted, the bottles be-- ing adapted to pass through thechannel ina lateral series, a reciprocal propeller at the rear end ofsaid channel, a closure member at the forwardv end of said' channel .andmeans connecting said propeller With said closure member to cause saidpropeller to' be recfipro.-

cated by the operation of said closure memhave hereunto set my hand atBr'adentovvn, i

Florida, this 23rd day ofSepte'mber, A. D. one thousand nine hundred andtwenty-five.

CALVIN N. MILLER.

